From a Medical prospective, via an Orthopedic Surgeon of 30+ years, Return to Work begins on date of injury--- with the appropriate diagnosis that, in turn, determines the most appropriate, evidence-based care and treatment. If the diagnosis is incorrect, then early RTW leads to re-injury, increased costs and unnecessary patient suffering.
In 2015, the National Academy of Medicine reported that most people will receive
...more »

Transition Back to Work

Providing light duty or part-time work, and partial disability payments during the transition back to work, can encourage workers to return earlier, minimizing the likelihood they will drop out of the workforce.

It can be a huge loss to lose an employee and it may become necessary to reassign duties to other workers or even bring in a replacement. Offering employers wage subsidies for workers or for accommodations is a promising strategy for facilitating return-to-work.

10

34

Washington COHE Model

What would it take to adopt/adapt key components of the COHE model to address your state’s workers’ compensation program challenges? (Please consider the required policy changes, the key players that would need to be convinced, and the supports, resources or materials that would help address their concerns and overcome barriers.)